I was thinking this morning about words for animal sounds. Like "bark". (Truth be told, I was saying, "Bark bark bark" to Zoe and then commenting on the fact that she has no idea what "bark" actually means. But anyway.) Why is it that this is one of the first things we teach our children? Is knowing that the cow says moo really that important to our development? Is "the cat says meow" the key to our future success in life?
It's not just Americans. Other cultures do this as well. This led to a discussion between me and Sean about words for animal sounds in other languages.
Me: What does a dog say in Spanish? I can't remember.
Sean: Barrrrrrrrrrrk [rolling the "r"].
According to this comprehensive glossary, the correct answer is "guau guau". "Bau bau" in Italian, "wan wan" in Japanese, "vov vov" in Danish, or "woef woef" in Dutch.
Fascinating.
what *does* a dog say in spanish? its definitely NOT guau guau.
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